Philippsburg can be explored through a range of themes: the old town walk takes in 17 sights, signposted cycling routes vary in length, and the Polder Information Trail combines nature experiences with information about flood protection. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether you are more interested in local history, cycling, or the landscape and water management.
Old Town Walk and Local History
The old town walk is a route through the town center that takes in 17 sights. It begins at the four-sided information pillar by the Philippus Fountain. This gives you a clearly marked starting point before you follow the stops around town. The Baroque Church of St. Mary is one of the stops on the walk.
The history of the stops is explained in German, English and French. This also makes the walk appealing to visitors who enjoy exploring historic places with multilingual explanations. Local history and architecture are the focus here, so the route works well as a distinct theme in its own right.
Choose Cycling Routes by Length and Difficulty
Five signposted cycling routes around Philippsburg range from 11.0 to 34.6 kilometers. They pass through nature and landscape conservation areas and by local sights. The range of route lengths helps you choose a ride to suit your preferred distance. As conditions on the routes may change, check the current route before setting out.
Another option is the Asparagus Route: it offers either a circular tour of about 75 kilometers or a total route of 108 kilometers. The paths are considered easy to ride, and the difficulty level is rated as easy. Both the distance and the stated difficulty can therefore help with planning. The circular tour and the total route are different options, not two figures for the same distance.
Natural Landscapes and Flood Protection
Parts of the Rußheimer Altrhein-Elisabethenwört nature reserve are located within Philippsburg. Rheinschanzinsel is enclosed by the Rhine and the Philippsburg Old Rhine. These landscape features add a natural theme to the town’s history.
The Polder Information Trail combines nature experiences with information and learning opportunities about flood management. Its information boards explain both flood management and the retention area’s protective function. The trail runs along the Zick-Zack-Damm, which was built based on the design of Philippsburg’s historic fortifications. The Polder Information Trail thus brings together two themes: the landscape and how flooding is managed.
Woodland and Regional Cycling Connections
A 2019 woodland survey put the municipal forest at around 1,100 hectares—about one fifth of Philippsburg’s total area. Part of the municipal area was reported as a Natura 2000 site. Both details add to the picture of the landscape, although the report should not be understood as a definitive designation.
The Rhine Cycle Route is part of the international Rhine Cycle Route and passes through Rheinsheim. Rheinsheim is therefore a separately named cycling connection. The five signposted cycling routes around Philippsburg are different routes from the Rhine Cycle Route.
In the Wider Karlsruhe Travel Destination
The Karlsruhe district stretches from the Rhine Plain in the west, across the hilly Kraichgau region in the east, to the foothills of the Northern Black Forest in the south. This landscape context relates to the wider Karlsruhe travel destination.
Bruchsal Palace is also part of this regional cultural context. It is a prince-bishop’s residence and is considered one of the most magnificent prince-bishop’s residences in Germany. The palace is particularly known for its staircase by Balthasar Neumann.
Discover more destinations: Rheinsheim, Kronau, Oberhausen-Rheinhausen, Forst, Sulzfeld, Pfinztal, Linkenheim-Hochstetten and Karlsruhe.
Back to the main travel overview: Karlsruhe.
